Mechanical novelty



June 12, 1956 s. REYNOLDS MECHANICAL NOVELTY Filed May 5, 1955 INVENTOR BY 22% e /3 I'IQ Li /5 4'7 ATTORNEY United States Patent F MECHANICAL NOVELTY Schuyler Reynolds, Columbus, Ohio Application May 5, 1955, Serial No. 506,254

4 Claims. Cl. 46-4) This invention relates to mechanical interest or amusement-furnishing novelties or toys, and more particularly is concerned with toys or novelties wherein movements of coins or playing disks are utilized in the use of the toy or novelty as its interest-creating medium.

It is an object of the invention to provide a simple and inexpensive mechanical novelty of this kind wherein a coin, or other equivalent disk-like body, is caused to travel under the action of gravity along one or more inclined, longitudinally extending racks, and wherein during such travel of the coin, the same, through edge engagement of the sides thereof with longitudinally spaced, stationary teeth provided at the side edges of the rack, is caused to rotate about a transverse axis passing through the center of the coin, the operation of the novelty being such as to stimulate the interest of observers both by the visual elfects produced thereby, and, also, through furnishing an element of mystery as to the manner in which the axial turning movement of the coin, while traveling along a confined longitudinal course, is effected.

For a further understanding of other objects and structural features of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description of an exemplary form of my improved mechanical novelty and the accompanying drawing illustrating the same, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the mechanical toy or novelty device of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an edge elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scale taken through the device on the plane disclosed by the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the structure disclosed in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 3.

In accordance with the present invention, the mechanical novelty of the present invention, in one of its several practical embodiments, comprises a supporting base 10, from which arises a rigid, vertically disposed, frame structure 11. The latter, in this instance, has been shown as including a centrally disposed, vertically positioned plate 12, carrying on opposite faces thereof longitudinally extending, upper and lower, inclined, ladder-type racks 13 and 14, respectively, the upper rack 13 being mounted on the plate so that its lower end is arranged in adjacent, communicating order with the upper end of the lower rack 14.

Each of the racks 13 and 14 is formed to include transversely spaced, longitudinally extending, parallel side members 15. These members are united by longitudinally spaced, transversely extending, cross members 16, thereby forming rigid rack assemblies on the opposite sides of the frame plate 12. As shown more particularly in Figs. 3, 5 and 6, the upper and inner longitudinally extending edge portions of the side members 15 are formed of the racks.

2,749,656 Patented June 12, 1956 with uniform, longitudinally spaced, upwardly extending, teeth or projections 17, and a ledge or shelf 18 disposed below the teeth 17. These teeth or projections are disposed in transversely aligned and longitudinally spaced pairs, each tooth or projection having inclined, troughforming sides terminating in an apex-forming edge.

It will be noted, upon reference to Figs. 5 and 6, that when a playing coin or disk of definite diameter is positioned in the longitudinal way W, formed in the racks, the spacing between the opposed teeth 17 and ledges 18 is such that the coin or disk will span the transverse width of the way W in which it is positioned, with opposite marginal edge regions of the coin or disk resting on said toothed edges. Due to the action of gravity, and the momentum attained by the coins or disks as they descend the racks, said playing pieces are caused to turn or rotate about the transverse axis thereof, so that a one-half turn degrees) is imparted to the playing piece by each transversely aligned pair of teeth with which the piece engages during its descent along a rack.

As shown, the upper right hand corner of the plate 12, as the latter is viewed in Fig. 2 is provided with a laterally offset entrance slot 19 for the insertion of a coin 20, or other disk-like playing piece, into the device. The back or opposite side of the plate, with respect to the rack 13, is provided with coin-guiding webs 21, the lower or bottom web 21a being inclined downwardly, as shown in Fig. 4, so that a coin placed thereon will gravitate into a receiving recess 22 formed in the upper portion of the rack 13. This recess is formed with an upwardly inclined bottom lip 23, the sloping upper surface 24 of the lip being disposed at an angle of at least 15 degrees, with respect to the horizontal, and is formed to merge with the a sloping sides of the upper pair of teeth 17 of the rack 13.

p The outer or upper edge of the lip 23 is arcuately curved,

as shown at 25 in Fig. 5. The back wall 26 of the recess has its front surface 26' inclined downwardly and outwardly to provide necessary clearance in the lower part of the recess to initiate free turning movement of a coin or a playing piece in the recess, as shown in Fig. 3.

A coin or playing piece deposited in vertical edge relation on the bottom wall 21a of the coin chute rolls into the recess 22, its lateral motion being arrested by the outer of the sides 15, so that the coin or playing piece will be disposed in registry with the upper end of the way W of the rack 13 and with the circumferential edges of the coin in registry with the teeth or projections 17. Due

to the inclination of the upper surface 24 of the recess and forward inclination of the back wall surface 26' the coin or playing piece so positioned is caused to fall face forwardly and rotate upon its horizontal transverse axis by point contact established along said axis by the aligned apex-forming upper edges of the first set of teeth 17 of the rack 13, and this rotation is continued by the momenturn of the coin and the coin is fulcrumed by its succesvsive contact with the sets of teeth 17, so that it turns or swings downwardly of the rack, as shown in dotted lines is such that it slightly exceeds the diameter of the coins or disk-like playing 'pieces'used in connection with the device.

As the coins descend the rack, the same revolve rapidly about their transverse axes, thus providing an attentionarresting and interest-stimulating mode of operation. It will be understood that the toy may include one or more In this instance, two of such racks have been shown, with the upper rack 13 mounted on one side of the plate 12 and the lower rack 14 mounted on the opposite side of the plate. Both racks are of identical construction and operation and therefore, the detailed construction defined and the explanation given in reference to the rack 13 will 'sufiice for and apply equally to the rack 14.

Upon discharge of a coin or disk from the bottom of the upper rack the same is received in vertical position in a transversely extending transfer chute 30. This chute projects rigidly and laterally in an outward direction from the plate 12 and corresponds closely in construction and operation to the entrance chute construction of the rack 13, as previously described and shown at 19, 21 and 21a in the drawings. The transfer chute delivers the coins or disks, while positioned vertically on their edges, to the receiving recess 22a formed at the/upper end of the lower rack 14, and which corresponds to the recess 22 previously described, so that the coins or disks will gravitate downwardly of the rack 14 in the same manner as the same move downwardly of the rack 13.

The lower or coin-discharging end of the rack 14 is formed with a laterally directed transfer chute 31 arranged laterally of the plate 12 in registry with a vertical coin slot 32 provided in said plate and another slot 33 formed in the upper horizontal wall of a coin receptacle or coin bank formed by the base of the device. The coins handled by the device are thus deposited in the interior chamber 34 of the base 10 and from which they may be removed by forming the bottom wall 35 of the base to constitute a removable closure. The device may thus be used to encourage the saving of coins by children and others, although I do not limit the use of my device to such a purpose. Furthermore, the constructions defined in detail above, and shown in the drawings, are subject to certain variations or modifications, obvious tothose skilled in the art, and, therefore, I do not intend such exemplary disclosures to limit the scope of my invention, since I expressly reserve the right to employ all variations or mechanical equivalents thereof falling within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A mechanical novelty comprising an inclined rack member including a pair of opposed, longitudinally extending, transversely spaced, parallel sides defining a coinreceiving and advancing way, said sides on the upper surfaces thereof being formed at longitudinally spaced intervals with pairs of opposed transversely aligned, upstanding teeth of uniform height, the transverse spacing of said sides being such as to support for turning movement therealong a coin of given diameter through contact of the marginal portions of the faces of the coin with said pairs of teeth and "through contact of the edge portions of the coin with the surfaces of said sides disposed between said teeth, said rack member being inclined at an angle with respect to the horizontal and said pairs of teeth being spaced longitudinally of said rack surface to cause a disk positioned on an upper portion of said rack member to respond to forces of gravity and-descend said rack member while turning end over end.

2. A mechanical novelty comprising a supporting frame including a rack inclined with respect to the horizontal, said rack providing a 'guideway having opposed transversely spaced, longitudinally extending, parallel side members formed along upper edges thereof with longitudinally spaced sets of opposed, transversely aligned, upstanding teeth terminating in pointed extremities, said side members being formed between said teeth with ledges,

the transverse spacing between the teeth and ledges of 'saidsi'de "members being slightly less than the diameter of an associated flat surfaced playing disk whereby to cause opposite marginal edge portions of such disks, when positioned between said side members, to be engaged by said sets of teeth and said ledges, the inclination of said rack and the longitudinal spacing between said sets of teeth causing a playing disk deposited in edge engagement with an upper end portion of said rack to migrate in an end over end toppling movement downwardly of said rack by gravity.

3. A mechanical novelty comprising a supporting frame; a downwardly inclined rack carried by said frame and including a pair of transversely spaced, parallel, longitudinally extending side rails, said side rails being spaced transversely from one another a distance slightly less than the diameter of a coin of given denomination, and being formed along their upper edges with sets of opposed, transversely aligned, upstanding pointed projections, the sets of projections being spaced longitudinally of said side rails, and said side rails, between said sets of projections, being formed with opposed ledges; coinguiding means supported by said frame and disposed in laterally offset relation to the upper ends of said side rails, said coin-guiding means including an inclined chute into which a coin of said given denomination may be placed and discharged by gravity onto the upper ends of said side rails; and means provided at the upper ends of said side rails engageable with a coin of said denomination discharged from said coin-guiding means to cause a coin to fall by gravity face downwardly upon a set of said projections, said sets of projections and said ledges being arranged to cause a coin discharged on the upper end of said side rails to migrate in an end over end toppling movement downwardly of said side rails by gravity.

4. A novelty coin bank comprising a supporting frame; a downwardly inclined rack carried by said frame and including a pair of transversely spaced, parallel, longitudinally extending side rails, said side rails being spaced transversely from one'another a distance slightly less than the diameter of acoin of given denomination, and being formed along their upper edges with sets of opposed, transversely aligned, upstanding pointed projections, the sets of projections being spaced longitudinally of said side rails, and said side rails, between said sets of projections, being formed with opposed ledges; coin-guiding means supported by said frame and disposed in laterally offset relation to the upper ends of said side rails, said coin-guiding means including an inclined chute into which a coin of said given denomination may be placed and discharged by gravity onto the upper ends of said side rails; means provided at the upper ends of said side rails engageable with a coin of said denomination discharged from said coin-guiding means to cause the coin to fall by gravity face downwardly upon a set of said projections, said sets of projections and said ledges being arranged to cause a coin discharged on the upper end of 7 said side rails to migrate in an end over end toppling 'movernent downwardly of said side rails by gravity; and a coin receptacle carried by said frame and positioned adjacent the lower end of said side rails to receive coins therefrom.

Russell Mar. 27, 1894 Howard et al. Feb. 25, 1919 

